Sunday, July 14th: Grant Village – Yellowstone National Park, WY or … crossing the Continental Divide twice.

We woke up in our wooden dark room at 7 a.m. The last couple of days my woman dreams and wonder oh wonder…school has a prominent role in those! But they are so weird… they are actually funny! She cannot exactly tell me what she dreamt …but she tells me they are weird. Anyways… a new day again on the bicycle. Old Faithfull is still doing its job – blowing every 50 minutes or so. And we are just in time to see the steaming hot water being blown up in the air. 

A little sad we leave this wonderful place – ready to climb two continental divides. This sounds awful but it is not too bad. The short distance of 17 miles is mostly uphill. After 2 miles my woman already jumps of the Sweet Machine: the Keppler Cascades. 

Another 3 mile further two cyclists on their downhill ride cross the street. My woman notices the Dutch flag and starts the conversation in Dutch: this older couple has been on the road for two months and a half – doing the Trans Am trail. Stories are exchanged and some advice is given: you should see this and that and stay a couple more days in Yellowstone – you’ll never come back here. I’m starting to laugh a bit when I hear my woman say that: I remember in 1992 that she said the same thing to herself! But the talking must be finished – we are actually standing a bit in the way of the cars. A good bye and wishing good luck and tailwinds…and off we go – climbing again. Once we see the yellow water lilies we know it’s not that far anymore.  

And soon we reach the first continental divide. 

Here three ladies ask my woman to take a picture with the ipad – my woman is getting good at taking pictures with that thing! Doooooooooooooooown now! For only 1 mile but who cares… The next climb to the second continental divide is interrupted by a stop at the Shoshone Lake viewpoint. Here my woman remembers Cycle America’s water stop and Shuli Lambden sitting on the hillside. But we need to climb more and soon my woman wants to sing, but the only song popping up in her head (for days) is the one about a bear:

The bear went over the mountains (3x)

To see what he could see.

And all that he could see (2x)

Was the other side of the mountain.

The other side of the mountains (2x)

That’s all that he could see!

Yes… very simplistic and not the song she really wants to sing: bears??? While we climb I must keep my eyes wide open, ‘cause my woman usually bends her head or she just aims forward – not looking towards the left and the right. But steadily we gain more altitude and finally there it is: the second continental divide. 

Here my woman takes pictures of a family of Texas (and of course there is the usual chatting) and they in turn take our picture at the sign. And now, the final downhill… Great stuff! Nice views of Yellowstone Lake and another talk with an Australian woman. 

In West Thumb we walk on the boardwalk to see and enjoy some other basins – and some young elk that are hiding between the trees. 

The lake brings my woman in a calm mood. It’s so peaceful here – in this park! What a great place to visit. We are so lucky to enjoy the beauty of the earth! A couple of miles further is the campground of Grant Village. We reached our destination again and now we can relax and enjoy some more.